Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

Tongan County.

In just two days, the autumn rice in Tongan County was harvested, and the weather was also very kind during these two days.

Today, the villagers carried out the harvested rice from their homes early and spread it out on the drying dam to dry. The rice grains were full and golden, and looked like small golden beans on the ground. The villagers wished they could lie down on it and roll around.

The fresh fragrance of rice also penetrates into the nose, making it so pleasant to smell.

The drying dam in the village is actually a piece of mud land that has been compacted to make it more solid. There is no stone road in Tongan County for the simple reason that each stone slab costs silver, and the previous Tongan County government could not afford so much silver.

But now it is different. All the villages are thinking that as long as they sell the rice seeds, they can get a large sum of money, which is a huge amount of money they have never seen in their lives.

Then they could each contribute a little to pave the dam in the village with stone slabs! If they contribute, Lord Shen will also have face.

The magistrates of all counties had already returned home yesterday, except Zhengqing.

He and Shen Zheng were strolling in the village, inspecting the autumn harvest. The villagers who were drying the grain turned around and saw them, and greeted Shen Zheng with a smile.

Yu Zhengqing was not angry at being ignored by the villagers. He just talked to her as they walked: "You could have earned more silver. Two hundred coins per pound, it won't hurt to slaughter them."

Shen Zheng picked up a grain of millet in her hand and was peeling the shell with her fingernails. She didn't look up when she heard him, but smiled and said, "Even if it's 200 coins per pound, once all the rice seeds are sold, it will be the richest account in the history of Tongan County since its establishment."

She calculated that the profit would be as much as ten thousand taels of silver.

Ten thousand taels of silver are enough to support any business in Tongan County today, whether it is the county school or the fabric workshop.

What's more, the fabric workshop only requires an initial investment, and it will generate income in the future. With the endorsement of the court, it means that as long as she opens the fabric workshop, she can make money without doing anything.

Although the profit from each transaction is not much, the volume is huge, and the profit will be considerable if the small amount accumulates.

Yu Zhengqing thought she was not living up to expectations. He had clearly tipped her off before, allowing her to take this opportunity to make some money from the local government. But she held it in for a long time and finally came up with the "high price" of "two hundred coins per catty of rice seeds".

He was so angry that his heart ached, and he cursed: "I think you are also a loser, you are so timid when it comes to making money."

Shen Zheng knew that he was doing this for her and Tongan County's sake, but she still complained in her heart: If she really had no future, she could never compare to the son of the Earl of Yongning, who gave up a good job as an official in Beijing and came to the countryside to suffer.

She didn't dare to show it on her face, but just smiled and said, "My Lord, don't be so angry. It's not good for your health."

Seeing that she dared to talk back, Yu Zhengqing pretended to be angry and scolded: "I see that your wings are getting stronger and stronger. I am still young. These two words of yours will not make me die of anger."

Shen Zheng put a few peeled rice grains in her mouth and chewed them with a crunching sound. Seeing that Yu Zhengqing was still looking at her, she handed the remaining dry rice to him and said, "My lord, would you like to eat it? I think this rice is much more fragrant than the white rice on the market."

Yu Zhengqing knew that she didn't want to discuss the price anymore. After all, when he was discussing matters with the county magistrates, he had stabbed her in the eyes. But she still insisted on selling it at two hundred coins per catty.

He took the grains of rice. Each grain was pure white and translucent, like white jade. He put them in his mouth and chewed them twice, leaving a lingering fragrance on his lips and teeth.

The more fragrant the rice was, the more uncomfortable he felt.

He glanced at Shen Zheng, as if muttering, or as if deliberately saying it to her: "It should be sold for 500 coins per pound at least. The government can afford it."

Shen Zheng smiled helplessly, knowing that if she didn't argue with him today, he would not let the matter go, so she had to pick up the topic again.

“Most governments can afford it, but ordinary people can’t.”

How could Yu Zhengqing not understand what she meant? He just felt that she was being a little naive.

“People can afford it, but they can’t buy it.”

Governments in various places basically have public fields. The rice seeds bought from Tongan County will be sold to the people only when the public fields can no longer accommodate them.

Shen Zheng was silent. Seeing that she was silent, Yu Zhengqing continued, "Governments everywhere will laugh at you for being stupid. Such a big opportunity was placed in front of you, but you took it high and put it down lightly."

Shen Zheng was still busy peeling rice grains. "Each county has 500 kilograms of rice seeds. If the public fields in the county can't finish planting them, some of them will be sold. They are officials, and they buy them from the lower officials at a low price. Of course, they dare not sell them at a higher price than the grain shop."

Yu Zhengqing sighed, "You also know that it is open, and those who have been through channels, what about those who have not? You should know how the families of local officials and landlords will fight for it. How much can really fall into the hands of ordinary people?"

She did not answer Yu Zhengqing's words, but just said softly: "Sir, there are more than just me and Sir Yin in the Great Zhou."

Yu Zhengqing looked up at her.

As the two were talking, the sun quietly climbed to the top and hung high in the sky. The sunlight shone on Shen Zheng. In Yu Zhengqing's eyes, she now had some divinity.

Shen Zheng continued, "A Liuyang Prefecture can produce two fools, me and Lord Yin. How many prefectures and fools are there in the entire Great Zhou?"

Yu Zhengqing opened his mouth, and then he realized that she had been gambling from the beginning by insisting on the price of two hundred coins per catty.

The government office that bought the rice seeds by betting had people who shared the same ideals as her and Yin Wencai, so she could sell them at a low price and others could take them back and sell them at a lower price.

If she sells it for 500 coins per catty, the government will feel the pain and will sell it at a higher price, and some people will definitely not be able to afford it.

Yu Zhengqing didn't know what to say at this moment. Although he admired the sincerity of Shen Zheng and Yin Wencai from the beginning, he was used to the treacherous hearts and the undercurrents in the officialdom. He didn't want to gamble on the unknown because of that tiny possibility, and at the cost of his own interests.

But at this moment, he could no longer say the words to scold Shen Zheng. He knew in his heart that he would never be able to possess her delicate heart.

Shen Zheng squatted on the ground and picked up the rice, carefully looking for the ones suitable for seed preservation. Her hands kept moving and she said:

"Sir, if Tong'an County was still as poor as it was when I first arrived, I would never sell it at a low price. But as I just said, ten thousand taels of silver is really a lot."

"I believe that if you are poor, you should take care of yourself; if you are rich, you should help the world."

"Perhaps in the eyes of some extremely wealthy people, ten thousand taels of silver is just a drop in the ocean, but I am used to being poor. Ten thousand taels of silver can really do a lot of things. It is also enough for me to lead the people of Tongan County to live a good life. So I am stupid, just this time."

Yu Zhengqing didn't believe what she said about "once". He had a hunch that if Shen Zheng could get the chance again, she would be "stupid" many times.